Programme

Frank Fecser (USA)

The Challenge of Managing Change.

Changing the way you do things, whether you are trying to change an organization, whether you're trying to help change a child's behavior, or whether you're trying to change something in your own life can be enormously challenging. This brief presentation introduces three brain-based components that can help us understand and facilitate change.

Franky D’Oosterlinck (Belgium)

Internal relationships as bonding element. Situating the different elements in the ecology of the child. Methods directed towards development and evolution.

People are in nature intentionally in their actions. If we want to know their reasons for action, we must be open for their world by listening to their thinking, feeling and motivations for action. If, within this attunement, we are able to choose together for a new action about which we agree that it fits within values and norms, than we call this an “internal relationship”. Actions that originate in this way, bring forward life experiences that can be described with words as “safety”, “respect”, “communication” and “honesty”. These experiences are necessary to step into a learning process in which people are directed by others that want to influence their behavior, mainly through thought. This kind direction of behavior, we call “interaction”. If a child feels good on the level of relationships, will depend upon the fact of these two before mentioned elements being in balance. Every interaction or challenge can succeed only if it can rely on enough internal relation or support.

Gerry Daly (Scotland)

Implementation of LSCI as part of an integrated staff training programme – challenges and rewards.

Gerry will be talkingabout Ryan. The many difficulties and disadvantages in his early life led him to a cycle of misbehaviour followed by sanctions... followed by misbehaviour… followed by more sanctions.

Gerry will be looking at some of the methods used by staff to build trust and relationships, allowing Ryan to gain the confidence to begin to find his own potential.

Gerry's presentation will conclude with a powerful short play performed and written by young people and staff from Kibble, exploring some of the oppressive attitudes and practices young people sometimes experience-from those looking after them!

Virgílio Varela (Portugal)

Social Innovation HUB.

The Social innovation Hub vision is to foster healthy and resilient communities, and inspire them to create their own future. The programme is designed to promote effective collaboration and innovation between projects, organizations and communities.

EDP Foundation developed the concept and is currently funding this 3 year pilot programme in 2 deprived communities in the outskirts of Lisbon and Oporto.

Kátia Almeida (Portugal)

…No matter what: Project Brave – E5G & Project Surf.ART.

At Pressley Ridge we believe in every child potential no matter what. We also believe that trusting relationships with caring adults are the “glue” that will support the efforts to empower the kids and help them thrive.

In this presentation, we will describe 2 of our programs and in what ways we support our kids: SURF.ART (Atreve-te. Realiza-te. Transforma-te) and B.R.A.V.E. – E5G (Bridging. Resiliência. Atitude. Visão. Escolhas – Programa Escolhas 5ª Geração).

Surt.ART targets 14 girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 12 and seeks to develop confidence, social skills, and social consciousness through surfing competence and contact with nature. BRAVE – E5G is designed to serve 300 kids per year, 50 of them intensively. BRAVE’s aim is to promote the social inclusion of some of society’s most vulnerable children. Each young person in the program will be expected to positively impact four people in their circle of influence over the course of their involvement in BRAVE. Thus, by design, the good will spread.

João Brites & Harriet Smith (Portugal)

Beyond Trouble.

Damn, these kids are beyond trouble... What was your first thought? Now think the following: Wow, these kids are beyond trouble! Can you tell the difference? We can. In Transformers project we aim at empowering youth with tools that will give them a different label and we work at making the connection between doing what you love and the responsibility of using that for positive social change. What are these tools? Sports and art.